This seminar is intended to give graduate students and advanced
undergraduates intensive training in critical analysis of theoretical
models of evolution and their application to biological anthropology.
We will focus on topics of evolutionary theory that are particularly
relevant to anthropology. These include, but are not limited to,
classification and phylogenetics, form and function (including
allometry), evolution of life history, kin selection, sexual
selection, behavior as phenotype/sociobiology, level of selection
(gene, individual, group, species), species concepts and
macroevolution (including the tempo and mode of evolution). Each week
we will read a section of Futuyma¹s ³Evolutionary Biology², covering
the relevant evolutionary theory, as well as a small selection of
recent anthropology articles that explore the application of that
theory to anthropology. Discussions will be divided into two sections;
the first explores the general theory, while the second explores and
critiques its application in anthropology.
Course grade will be based on participation in class discussions (25%
of grade), leading discussion on particular papers (30% of grade), as
well as three short papers critiquing the use of evolutionary theory
in anthropological studies not discussed in seminar (each worth 15% of
the grade, for a total of 45% of the grade).
Students must have instructor¹s permission to enroll in this course.